About Heart Week
Heart Week is Australia’s national heart health awareness week held in May each year. It provides an opportunity for the Australian public and health professionals to start a conversation about heart health and take positive steps to reduce their heart disease risk.
This Heart Week, we’re encouraging everyday Australians to never miss a beat by speaking to their GP about a Heart Health Check. To complement this, we’re urging health professionals to engage their patients about heart health and use the Aus CVD Risk calculator during their next Heart Health Check.
See your GP for a Heart Health Check
A Heart Health Check is a 20-minute check-up with your GP to assess your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years.
As part of the check, your doctor will ask you about your lifestyle, medical and family history. They will also check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Your GP will use this information to estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke. More importantly, they will discuss the steps you can take to lower your risk.
If you are aged 45 and over and do not already have heart disease, we recommend you see your doctor for a Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Check. Some people may be eligible earlier, including First Nations peoples from 30 years, and from 35 years for people living with diabetes.
Never miss a beat. Book a Heart Health Check with your GP today.
Is your heart feeling your age?
It only takes 3 minutes to find out with the Heart Age Calculator, designed to help you understand your risk of heart disease.
Intended for those aged between 35 and 75, the Calculator uses well-known risk factors for heart disease such as age, sex, blood pressure and cholesterol to estimate your risk compared to a defined healthy range.
If your heart age is higher than your actual age, you may be at a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke and should speak to your GP about getting a Heart Health Check.
Take the test
Designed to help you understand your risk of heart disease.
Start a conversation about heart health with your loved ones
Information for health professionals
Heart Week resources for your organisation
Download or order your FREE Heart Week resource pack and engage your community about their heart health.
Use the pack to set up an informative heart health display at your workplace and start a conversation about the importance of understanding CVD risk and having a Heart Health Check.
Use the Aus CVD Risk calculator during your next Heart Health Check
Enhance your CVD prevention efforts with the Australian guideline and calculator for assessing and managing CVD risk.
Use the Aus CVD Risk calculator
Australian guideline and calculator for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk.
Developed through multidisciplinary collaboration, the guideline introduces updated risk assessment criteria and refined risk categories.
With over 700,000+ CVD risk calculations to date, the new Aus CVD Risk calculator has been uniquely modified and recalibrated for the Australian population, enabling more accurate assessment of CVD risk.
Never miss a beat. Use the Aus CVD Risk calculator during your next Heart Health Check.
New resources to streamline Heart Health Checks
Updated Heart Health Check templates aligned to the 2023 Australian CVD risk guideline.
Creative display competition
Use your free resources and get creative with your decorations to start conversations about heart health at your workplace.
Enter our Heart Week display competition and win one of two $500 vouchers (T&Cs apply). Winning and shortlisted displays will be featured nationally on our social media and newsletters.
To enter, share photos on social media with #HeartWeek2024 and tag The Heart Foundation, or submit them via our online form. Eligible displays must be in shared patient areas within healthcare settings.
